MILITARY bosses last night rejected claims a jet training aircraft based at a North Wales airbase has a poor safety record.

A Hawk jet returning to RAF Valley was diverted to the Isle of Man when it developed engine trouble over the Irish Sea earlier this week.

The Celtic League, a Manx-based environmental pressure group, said the incident was worrying for people living in the Irish Sea area.

Celtic League spokesman Bernard Moffat said: "The trainer type is now almost 40 years old and during its operational life has experienced an astonishingly high attrition rate.

"The League first drew attention to the Hawk shortcomings in the mid-1980s. Almost one in four of the 180, which were built for the RAF, had been lost in accidents up to that time.

RAF Valley spokesman Mark Byrne said the safety of the aircraft was not in question.

He said: "On the contrary the aircraft has an extraordinarily good safety record, especially considering the aircraft operates 100 flying sorties each day from Valley and has done so over a considerable period of time since the last serious incident.

This incident was an in-flight emergency which was handled by the crew and the aircraft landed safely."

Mr Byrne said the aircraft was one of two returning to the Anglesey base after a weekend display at Blackpool.

The pilot declared a mayday at 20,000ft and made an emergency landing at Ronaldsway Airport. An airport spokesman said on landing, the pilot reported the aircraft was leaking fuel and the airport had to close for about 40 minutes while the aircraft was towed away from the edge of the runway. Four passenger flights were affected by the incident.

Last night technicians from Valley completed loading the aircraft on to a trailer for return to North Wales.